Mistletoe
by captainjen
Summary: An evil plant. What changes Ron's mind? [A little early for Christmas I realise, but still. Reuploaded from 2004  so now AU, written before books 6&7] RHR.


(A/N) Reuploaded from 2004. One of my favourite little pieces.

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.

Mistletoe

A place.

A time.

A boy.

A girl.

A scene.

A plant.

It's not what you think.

The place? The edge of the frozen over lake. It looks beautiful. Like a muggle Christmas card. Snow is on the ground and the trees look they've been lightly dusted with icing sugar and icicles.

The time? Christmas, of course.

The boy? Ron Weasley. Sixteen. Sixth year Hogwarts student. Belonging to the Gryffindor house. Red head. Sixth and last boy in a last family but not the youngest child. Freckles. Hates mistletoe. Doesn't see the point of it. Dangerous stuff really.

The girl? Hermione Granger. Seventeen. Sixth year Hogwarts student. Belonging to the Gryffindor house. Bushy hair, slightly tamed since her first year but still very unruly. It simply refuses to behave. Only child. Muggle born. The only female in her close group. Sometimes that's a gift. Sometimes it's not. Intelligent. Likes snow. Pretty really. She thinks it's a shame that it doesn't snow very much and when it does, it doesn't last long.

The scene? Our boy and girl are out by the pretty lake and trees that look like a muggle Christmas card but are actually the grounds of Hogwarts. They're just there. Standing. Looking out to the lake. The girl is smiling. Kicking the snow gently around her feet. The boy is frowning, thinking something, arms folded.

The plant? Mistletoe. It's Christmas. What did you expect, a daisy?

The mistletoe is hanging from every tree in sight. The scene is somewhat magical, something that you could have produced in your wildest fantasies.

And there they are. A boy and a girl. Standing in this magical scene.

What would you think?

You'd think, oh look, aren't they sweet?

It's not what you think.

"Why does the damn castle have to have mistletoe everywhere?" Ron suddenly said, still starring straight ahead over the frozen lake.

"Because it's Christmas. And that's what you do at Christmas. You put mistletoe and holly up everywhere." Hermione stated, bending down to pick up a handful of snow. She doesn't throw it. She just holds it. Looking at it. Tossing it from one hand to the other occasionally.

"Yeah, but it's everywhere." Ron said, turning to her. But he doesn't look at her. He looks at the snow in her gloved hands.

"It's a tradition Ron," Hermione sighed, slightly aggravated that he had spoilt the stillness. "If you get caught under mistletoe you have to kiss the person standing under it with you."

"They don't have too!" Ron argued.

"They had no other choice." Hermione glared up at him, clearly aggravated. She had been enjoying the peacefulness in the snow.

"They could have run away. Pretended to ignore the stupid plant…" Ron grumbled.

"You're just going to have to accept it Ron. Ginny's not a little girl anymore. She chooses who she kisses under the mistletoe, not you. And if she's chosen Harry, well, you should be happy." Hermione said, walking away from him.

"But she's my sister! It's my job to look after her!" Ron called to Hermione's retreating back. "Hey, where are you going?"

She didn't answer. She merely stopped, turned, and threw the snowball she had shaped in her hands at Ron's head. She missed, and it hit him in the shoulder instead.

Ron looked at his shoulder, not quite processing what had just happened. Hermione had thrown a snowball.

At him.

Hermione didn't do things like that.

As she walked back to him, he asked, "Why did you do that?"

"I'm not sure really." Hermione said, and looked back out onto the lake, a smile playing on her lips. "It may be your job to look after Ginny, but she's fifteen now. Leave her alone. How would you like it if she threw a hissy fit every time you were caught under the mistletoe with somebody?"

"I did not throw a hissy fit!" Ron said.

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Oh really?"

"Hermione, I did not throw a hissy fit!" Ron said.

Hermione said nothing, she simply looked out across the lake as she had been doing before, but this time there was a slight smirk on her face.

They were quiet for a few moments before he asked her a question.

"Do you like mistletoe?" he asked.

"I don't really have a reason to like it or dislike it." Hermione stated.

"Why not?" Ron asked, disrupting the silence once more.

"Well…" she thought, choosing her words carefully. "I don't know. I've never really thought about it. It hasn't done any harm to me, so why should I dislike it?"

"Because it's evil."

"It's a plant."

"Yeah…an evil plant."

"Ron!" Hermione growled. "Ginny likes Harry. Harry likes Ginny. What did you expect them to do, shake hands?"

Ron just glared at the lake.

They were silent once more, before she asked, "Why don't you like mistletoe?"

"Because I catch my little sister and my best friend and the corridor using it to their advantage, that's why!" Ron said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"But if that hadn't of happened…would you still hate it?" she asked quietly.

"I-" Ron began but found he didn't know what to say. "I…I'm not sure."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"So…"

"It's just…" he started a few minutes later. "…she's my sister, Hermione. And, sure, Harry's my best mate, but it's just a bit…"

"Strange?"

"Yeah. Strange." Ron shuffled his feet for a few seconds. "Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"You remember when we were in fourth year and Krum was here…"

Hermione rolled her eyes. They were having a civilised conversation (almost, if you discounted the part about hissy fits, snowball throwing and evil plants) and Ron has to bring up fourth year and Viktor! She turned and scowled at him. "Yes…"

"Well, he was here at Christmas time and there was mistletoe everywhere then. And, well…did you two ever…y'know. With the mistletoe…" he rounded off awkwardly. There really was no appropriate way to phrase that question.

"I can't say that's really any of your business Ron." Hermione said sniffily and returned her gaze to the icy lake.

"Oh…sorry."

"But…well…no, we didn't." Hermione said rather quickly. She could feel her cheeks heating up as she said the words.

"Oh." Ron said, and Hermione could detect a hint of triumph in his voice. She turned to her left slightly, and saw Ron was grinning.

Hermione heard the crunch of snow under shoes and saw Ron walking away.

"Where are you going?" she called after him.

He stopped.

He turned.

He grinned.

He threw a snowball.

It hit her shoulder.

"Nowhere." he called back. "Just getting you back for earlier."

Hermione looked at her shoulder and then back at Ron, who as walking back to her. She stood, open-mouthed.

When he reached her again she wasn't furious. She wasn't anything really.

Then she laughed slightly, as if she wasn't sure there was anything else she should do at a time like this. "That was cruel, Ronald Weasley."

"You hit me first." he grinned back.

"You deserved it."

"Didn't."

"Did."

"Didn't."

"D-" She stopped. She couldn't carry on, for she had been interrupted.

Ron had bent down and very gently placed a soft, gentle kiss on her lips. It didn't last long, only a few seconds.

But he had still kissed her.

A proper kiss.

He straightened up and smiled down at her.

"Didn't." he retaliated.

"I…W-what was that for?" Hermione asked.

"Mistletoe." Ron looked up at the trees, and sure enough, mistletoe was hanging from many branches. "It's a tradition after all. I wouldn't want to break tradition after all."

"No…no, I suppose you wouldn't." Hermione smiled back up at him.

They started to walk back up to the castle, smiles on their faces.

"Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you still hate mistletoe?"

"No. No, I don't think so."

(A/N) Know it's a little early for Christmas, but still.


End file.
